Examining those things which intersect with the walk of the believer in this life.
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Monday, April 27, 2015

Of Serpents, Doves and Christian Bakers

Our Lord was frank when he spoke about the dangers of the world for his sheep. He stated, in Matthew 10:16:

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

This was no mild or anecdotal description which was intended for us to merely put into the back of our minds, rather, it was the naked assessment of how most of the world, if not at times all the world, was going to see and treat the believer. The world is a world of wolves and we are to operate, day in and day out, minute by minute if it requires, with this reality as our viewpoint.Our Lord did not teach us to be unsuspecting and suffer needlessly. However, as I read, over and over again, I am observing what appears to be Christians who do not fully understand that Christ our Savior did not promote naivety as a way of life for the believer which seems to be the case for a few people who apparently feel it is somehow required of them to "show their cards" to people who have no good intentions for them. No such obligation exists in the Scriptures.If one owns a bakery and is a Christian and someone comes requesting he or she make a product that causes offense in one's conscience before God, one is to be wise about this. Establish a process which requires customers to explain everything they are desiring and then explain that the company will contact them if the calender permits this request. As well, answering questions about who you will and will not serve as a restaurant, as if you are bound to respond to hypotheticals, is gullibly falling into a trap when it could be avoided. Difficulty will arise on its own, or if forced. But revealing to a world of wolves all of your thoughts and intents is to leave a trail to your front door with a key in the lock and an invitation for them to enter in and take what you have.

Think about how our Lord was often confronted with direct questions. He rarely answered them instead, he shrewdly turned the questions back on the inquirers in a number of ways ultimately walking away without ever answering them thereby, taking away their ammunition.I post this with a caveat. I do not know all of the details of all of the various cases that have arisen as of late but I do know of a few which could have been avoided. Others, on the other hand, may not have been able to be avoided so I am not attempting to judge where I do not have the details and really not judge specifically any case at all.

What I do wish to do is to remind you and encourage you. Remember, dear believer, you are among wolves. Hold your cards close to the vest. Be wise as a serpent but harmless as a dove.(Yes, I have been busy and have not blogged too much this year. I hope the summer provides more opportunity. I have had a series on marriage that I may be able to do more with by the fall which I believe will be of great edification for my readers).

5 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Greeting Alex. I get the first if what you're saying, but one thing that makes most Christians take this stance is the law to not make false witness (this is still part of the Law of the Messiah, as a dispensationalist I believe this is still binding today).

If we hold sown cards, the Christian logic goes that we are misleading the other person. And Jesus said that sin is not something we have to actually commit: just with an intent is already breaking any particular law (His teaching about adultery: Matt 5:27-30). The common Christian thought goes on to say since we are hiding our true intent, we are breaking the law to not bearing false witness.

And more seriously, not proclaiming our true beliefs means, according to this interpretation, we re disowning Christ as the true reason driving our decision. This means we are breaking ultimately the first greatest commandment as well: love God with our most power will and might.

I'm not saying your advice is bad, it sounds common sense, but I would like to hear whether the theological arguments opposing your stance could be addressed. It may be, but I'm struggling with them.

Sorry, the smart phone autocorrect doesn't make this well. Here's the corrected version

-----------

Greetings Alex. I get the gist of what you're saying, but one thing that causes most Christians take the stance you criticised is the law to not make any false witness (this is still part of the Law of the Messiah, as a dispensationalist I believe this is still binding today).

If we do withhold some cards, the Christian logic goes, we are misleading the other person with an intent to conceal. And Jesus also said that a sin is not something we have to actually commit: just think with an intent is already breaking any particular law (His teaching about adultery: Matt 5:27-30). The common Christian thought goes on to say since we are hiding our true intent, we are breaking the law to not bearing false witness as we are trying to mislead, or in other words it's a form of deception.

And more seriously, not proclaiming our true beliefs means, according to this interpretation, we re disowning Christ as the true reason driving our decision. This means we are breaking ultimately the first greatest commandment as well: love God with our most power will and might.

I'm not saying your advice is bad, it sounds common sense to me, but I would like to hear whether the theological arguments opposing your stance could be addressed. It may be, but I'm struggling with them. It seems that the opponents have a very water tight argument as I explained.

Thank you for your comments and I do concur that bearing false witness weighs upon the matter.

Allow me to address that in this manner:

Bearing false witness is a judicial context which assumes that the questioner has the legal right (which would stem from a divine right) to the information being solicited. Not every person asking a question has the divine and/or legal right to know the answer to the questions they ask, particularly personal ones.

Thus, we apply our Lord's principle of revealing only what is essential, being wise as serpents and gentle as doves.

I think of our Lord, again, who answered questions, direct questions, with either indirect or redirecting answers.

In Luke 22 at the end of the chapter Jesus is being interrogated and is directly asked if he claims to be the Messiah. He does not give them a direct answer but answers with, "You say that I am".

He leaves them to deal with their conscience and the greater issue of their motives instead answering a selfish and disingenuous question and did so without bearing false witness.

There is a time and place for factual testimony and complete revelation of one's mind which includes intent but I am convinced that the Scriptures grant a great deal of room for God's children to protect themselves with discretion, indirect responses and even redirecting and possibly misdirection without bearing false witness.

Alex's Tiny Bio

I am a "pedestrian Christian" and am enjoying my journey, particularly with my dear partner and spouse. Our family banner reads:
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." Psalm 20:7. At the bottom of the blog you will find more about The Pedestrian Christian. To contact me please use the comments section.

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The Pedestrian Christian's Path

I have been a believer in Christ for over 30 years and along the way my path has introduced me to some most unimaginable experiences. And from that I have come away with the greatest of all certainties; in the end where I am headed is where I came from which is Christ Jesus. So with some experience, a teaching gift and mild writing abilities my objective is to take such assets and hope to be an illuminating source for others.

I am a Protestant with baptistic and Lutheran leanings (though I reject any form of sacramental regeneration) with dispensationalistic views. I have an undergraduate degree in Biblical studies from which I have aggressively but colloquially pursued additional theological development and training.

I formerly inclined myself toward Reformed theology and Calvinism but now, through comprehensive exegetical/theological studies, reject the rationalism of Augustinian/Reformed/Calvinistic (ARC) theologies as well as certain by-products of these two centers.

However, with that said I also recognize that no one school of theology is without weaknesses and many schools offer virtuous contributions in areas where there are no contentions. Therefore, I acknowledge the augmentation of many schools and their theologians which are of other persuasions seeing that we have many things in common. So I use many sources with discretion while possibly taking issue with these on other occasions.

I generally prefer a polemic style in my arguments but do try to engage apologetically often enough to endear my writings to a broader audience. However, as you read you will find most often my theological measures being contentions with specific teachings by either a school or Teacher of Scripture.

I also participate in social and political treatments but far less often than those of theology. And as for the regulation of my contributions, I do not anticipate having time for constant contributions but those I do make I will strive to endow them with material which is satisfying, challenging and engaging.